Toledo recall
LP News July 1999 - Toledo, Ohio Libertarians kick off recall effort against "unfit" mayor July 1999 Online Edition Note: This online version may contain additional material or otherwise differ from what appeared in the printed edition. Toledo, Ohio Libertarians kick off recall effort against "unfit" mayor Libertarians in Toledo, Ohio have launched a much-publicized impeachment drive against the city's mayor -- charging that he acts like an "emperor" and has a "callous disregard" for the rights of citizens. On April 12, Libertarians Dr. LeRoy Lloyd, Dave Domanski, Duane Arquette, and others held a press conference to announce the start of a recall effort to oust Mayor Carty Finkbeiner. They also announced a new website to facilitate the effort, which doubles as the name of their committee: RecallCarty.com. At the press conference, Libertarians accused the mayor of "malfeasance" and "self-serving smugness" which made him unfit to continue in office. "We, the people of Toledo, have had enough!" said Arquette. "It is time for Carleton S. Finkbeiner to be recalled." Listing the specifics of their allegations, Arquette said, "Finkbeiner repeatedly uses the power of his office to abuse the rights of property owners. He champions an aggressive campaign to disarm law-abiding citizens. He places the city of Toledo in serious financial jeopardy. He broke an Election Law of the State of Ohio. He ignores the Constitution of the United States." The Libertarians were especially vocal in their criticism of Finkbeiner's anti-Second Amendment efforts -- including proposals to require handgun registration, to ban possession of "Saturday Night Specials," and to allow prosecution if children gain access to guns without trigger locks. "We are tired of hearing Mr. Finkbeiner brag that Toledo is an All-American City while he does everything in his power to trample the law and tradition upon which America was founded," said Arquette. "We, too, believe Toledo is an All-American city, and we demand to be treated and respected, as all Americans should be." The RecallCarty.com committee has 90 days from the date of their announcement to collect 23,000 valid signatures -- requiring about 35,000 "raw" signatures -- to put the recall question on the November ballot. The press conference generated an immediate wave of media attention for the Libertarians. "The result has been unbelievable," said Lloyd. "The radio and TV stations open their newscasts with, 'A group of Libertarians are trying to recall the mayor!' I understand that our effort has made the news in the rest of the state. "We have bull by the horns, but we love it. But the establishment is getting worried; our presence is as welcomed as the aroma of a hog barn on a hot sultry day," he said. The campaign -- and their use of a website to drum up support -- also attracted national attention: The June 1999 issue of Campaigns & Elections named RecallCarty.com its "Site of the Month." Noting that the site offered information on signature gathering, T-shirts for sale, and reasons why the mayor should be recalled, the magazine wrote: "Whether the campaign is successful or not, RecallCarty.com is an innovative new way of using the Internet for grassroots petitioning."